ALREADY DEAD

Vampyres, not vampires, though the difference isn’t always apparent. At any rate, they’re more than just coming, they’re here, sucking it up throughout Manhattan, four to five thousand of them, a bloodthirsty bunch. Joe Pitt is one of them, but atypical. Oh, he’s undead all right, and he does need to transfuse on a regular basis, but all who know him recognize his special qualities. Both Vampyre powerhouses—the mighty Coalition and the smaller, more radical Society—would love to have him suit up in their colors, but Joe’s no follower. He’s simply a man who “gets things done,” he says. So sometimes he’s a detective; other times, a murderer. This particular time, he’s the one who’d better find Amanda Horde, or risk the ire of Dexter Predo, the Coalition’s mean-spirited Machiavelli. Amanda’s the 14-year-old daughter of rich, influential Edward Horde, who, while not undead himself, counts A-list Vampyres among those eager to do him favors. And since he’s important to the Coalition, he’s important to Joe—the ruthless Predo knows exactly where Joe hides his yummy 10-pint blood stash. Finding Amanda, however, will test Joe’s mettle. It’s an arduous search, during which he’ll earn a fresh batch of enemies and a practically non-stop array of prolonged and sadistic beatings.

Huston (Caught Stealing, 2004, etc.) does his best here, but how can you really like a bloodsucker?